THE first vehicle transporting donations gathered by the Help from Bournemouth to Ukraine group has arrived in Ukraine.

The vehicle containing medical goods reached the city of Lviv in Ukraine on Sunday. Other donations made to the group have reached Poland, but Sunday's shipment was the first to reach Ukraine since the operation began.

A contact of the Help from Bournemouth to Ukraine group, known as Ben, was the one to directly deliver the medical goods.

Karol Swiacki, organiser of the Facebook page, said: “Ben did an amazing job. He called me when he was on the (Ukrainian) border to offer to drive to Lviv; he said he wanted to help.

Ben then met with a friend of Karol’s, Janusz Gorski, who had already secured a drop off point in the city of Lviv, allowing for an easier transition of goods into Ukraine from Poland.

“When Ben sent me the pictures of the things arriving in Ukraine, I cried. It was very emotional.”

“It’s amazing because we’re not only helping the refugees in Poland, but also the people still in Ukraine.”

Organisers have now also been given access to a large warehouse at Bournemouth Airport, secured by Bournemouth MP Tobias Ellwood following their meeting on Friday.

Karol said: “Tobias (Ellwood) spoke with the directors at the (Bournemouth) airport to get the warehouse and so now we can take pallets over to it.

“There are amazing facilities there.”

The warehouse will act as a main distribution centre and will give the group the space it needs to continue accepting donations.

Since the launch of the page, Help from Bournemouth to Ukraine has helped to gather thousands of donations for the people of Ukraine.

An overwhelming number of donated goods have been stored at a warehouse in Castlepoint, where volunteers have helped to organise them ahead of their shipment to Ukraine.

Two further warehouses in Bournemouth and Poole were also secured over the last week, but Castlepoint remains the main drop off site for donations.